How Propaganda Works to Divide Us

Political propaganda employs the ideals of liberal democracy to undermine those very ideals, the dangers of which, not even its architects fully understand.

Abstract: -

Excerpt:

In the early years of DeSmog's research into anti science propaganda, I thought of energy industry PR campaigns such as "junk science," "clean coal," and "ethical oil" as misinformation strategies designed to dupe the public.

Although that's obviously true, I now understand that propaganda is far more complex and problematic than merely lying about the evidence. Certainly propaganda is designed to deceive, but not in a way you might think. What's more, the consequences are far worse than most people who produce and consume it realize.